FLORIDA LEGISLATURE

What started out as a get-together for a group of friends at Walt Disney World is now one of Orlando’s most iconic multi-day events.

A federal judge overseeing the First Amendment lawsuit that Walt Disney Parks filed against Gov. Ron DeSantis and others is disqualifying himself, but not because of bias claims made by the Florida governor.

The Florida Department of Education is gearing up to begin crafting rules to carry out a number of measures approved by state lawmakers and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, including some proposals that were among the most controversial issues from the 2023 legislative session.

The Florida State Guard may more than triple in size after Gov. DeSantis signed a new bill into law Friday.

There was a big shift Friday in who patrols the beach in Volusia County. Just the day before, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that took immediate effect that says all unincorporated areas in a county now fall under the sheriff’s office.

As DeSantis prepares to run for president, Disney is likely to follow him in the campaign too, and the feud may influence how people see him.

The largest LGBTQ+ rights organization in the U.S. has joined other civil rights organizations in issuing a travel advisory for Florida.

The Walt Disney Co. says it's scrapping plans to build a new campus in central Florida and relocate 2,000 employees from Southern California to work in digital technology, finance and product development.

Asian American Pacific Islanders Coming Together is hosting a town hall at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office to raise awareness on AAPI issues in the community.

At New College of Florida in Sarasota Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure that could change how public colleges and universities operate in the state.

Voters in Marion County will decide on Tuesday whether a Republican or a write-in candidate will represent them in the Florida Legislature.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed 37 bills, including a measure that will prevent the release of past and future travel records of DeSantis and other state leaders.

The Florida Department of Transportation will soon have the duty to inspect Walt Disney World’s monorail system, one of several provisions enacted by the Florida Legislature as part of the state’s clash with the Walt Disney Company.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill into law that would make changes to amusement rides in an effort to increase safety and prevent another tragedy like the death of a teenager on an Orlando attraction last year.

An Orange County woman accused Florida's Office of Election Crimes and Security of trying to intimidate those who register people to vote.

With Democrats saying the proposal could lead to racial profiling, the Florida Senate on Friday passed an immigration package that Republican supporters said is aimed at forcing the federal government to address an “invasion” of migrants into the country.

The Florida House on Friday passed a measure that would lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 to buy rifles and other “long” guns, voting to scrap a high-profile change passed after a 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Robert “Foxy” Fox didn’t think he would be actively running in a general election for the Florida House of Representatives.

As Florida grapples with a shortage of affordable housing, the Senate on Friday gave final approval to a bill that could lead to landlords collecting monthly fees instead of security deposits from renters.

A new law now in effect in Florida makes it a crime to distribute flyers onto private property with hate speech in them, or project hateful messages onto private property without permission.

The Florida Senate on Wednesday approved a sweeping elections bill aimed at continuing Republican leaders’ efforts to crack down on voter-registration groups and ensuring Gov. Ron DeSantis doesn’t have to resign from office to run for president.

The four lawyers listed on the Walt Disney Company’s lawsuit against Gov. DeSantis include a legendary lawyer who handled cases for Disney and former President Trump, lawyers who focus on contract and constitutional law, and all of them are qualified in some form or fashion to work on the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Walt Disney Company is going to court against Gov. DeSantis and the state of Florida, as the fight between DeSantis and Disney continues.

The Florida Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill to make it a hate crime to distribute flyers containing hate speech onto private property, among other things, and sent the bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature.

A key Senate committee on Tuesday approved a scaled-back proposal aimed at requiring transgender men and women to use restrooms that line up with their sex assigned at birth, as protesters marched to the Capitol to speak out against bills targeting the LGBTQ community.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ hand-picked board members told concerned business owners their taxes would be raised to help pay for lawyers during the governor’s ongoing fight with Disney.

Florida Republicans are poised to change state law to allow GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president without having to leave office.

The Florida Legislature is considering a bill that could give renters the option to pay a monthly fee instead of a larger security deposit upfront.

In a particularly rancorous Florida Legislative Session, one bill brought everyone in the Florida House together Thursday — it was aimed at stopping the growing number of hateful messages being distributed in neighborhoods and projecting onto buildings.

State legislators and community leaders say there will be classroom walkouts and rallies taking place across Florida on Friday in protest of the state’s education policies.

Officials in a southwest Florida city have canceled a gay pride parade and restricted other pride events to people 21 years and older.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill eliminating a requirement for unanimous jury recommendations before judges can impose death sentences.

Wednesday was a busy day for Florida lawmakers as three big bills passed in the House but not without fierce opposition.

A plan to get rid of an agreement the Walt Disney Company made with the former governing body that oversaw Walt Disney World property is now in the Florida Senate.

The Florida House of Representatives approved a bill that would ban most abortions after six weeks Thursday, sending the measure to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Equality Florida issued a travel advisory Wednesday, telling people that ‘Florida may not be a safe place to visit or take up residence.”

Equality Florida, the state’s LGBTQ civil rights organization, is demanding Florida lawmaker State Rep. Webster Barnaby formally retract his words after he called transgender people “imps” and “mutants” and “demons.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would not go into specifics Friday, but he promised that he and the state Legislature would take “very, very strong action” in the coming weeks against Disney for an agreement that serves to strip the new district that oversees Disney World property of much of its power.

Beginning Wednesday, government agencies can no longer use certain brands of drones under a new rule in Florida.

The Florida Senate on Tuesday passed a plan that would bar doctors and other health-care providers from offering treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy to transgender minors.

The Florida Senate on Monday released a 98-page bill that includes proposed changes ranging from clamping down on voter-registration groups to relaxing campaign-finance reporting rules.

The Florida House on Friday took a step toward expanding a controversial 2022 law that prevents instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in early school grades, approving a measure that would broaden the prohibition through eighth grade.

Two bills targeting police units in unincorporated areas of counties is making its way through Florida's Senate and House right now.

The Florida Senate passed its permitless carry bill Thursday, sending it to Gov. DeSantis for his signature.

The Florida Senate is taking up a bill to allow people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit right now. The bill, HB 543, already passed the Florida House.

With approval Friday from the Florida House, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s $711 million effort to make housing more affordable for working Floridians is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Lawmakers in the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill Friday that would allow people to carry a concealed firearm without a state permit.

A Republican supermajority in the Florida Legislature sealed the deal Thursday on a bill that would expand school vouchers to all Florida families.

Florida’s new agriculture commissioner, Wilton Simpson, told News 6 he is confident legislation that will carry penalties for the use of so-called “gas pump manipulation devices,” will pass with full support by state lawmakers and Governor Ron DeSantis.

Committees in the Florida House and Senate have been assigned to review identical bills that include proposed felony charges for anyone who “tampers with, manipulates, removes, replaces, or interrupts any mechanical or electronic component located within a retail fuel dispenser.”

As the House begins to revamp economic-development programs, Florida’s aerospace agency would draw more direct oversight, with the governor controlling its board of directors.

The Florida House is on the cusp of passing a massive expansion of school-voucher programs that would make every student eligible to receive taxpayer-backed scholarships, while the full Senate is poised to consider its version of the bill.

Florida Republicans are advancing a proposal to ban classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity through the eighth grade, expanding the controversial law critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”.

Amid a debate pitting insurers against independent auto-glass shops, Florida lawmakers Tuesday started moving forward with a proposal aimed at preventing lawsuits over windshield-damage claims.

With backing from Speaker Paul Renner, a House panel on Monday approved a bill that would lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 to buy rifles and other long guns in Florida.

A Florida Senate committee approved a bill Monday afternoon to make changes to ride safety rules after the death of a tourist at an Orlando attraction.

A stricter abortion ban under consideration for Florida could have practical implications for women throughout the South and political implications for Gov. Ron DeSantis.

With some high-powered support, a Florida House panel Thursday backed a proposal that would set start times for high schools and middle schools that would be more in tune with teens’ natural rhythms.

News 6 political expert and University of Central Florida history professor Jim Clark said all eyes will be on Florida’s legislative session over the next 60 days.

A town hall is seeking input from the Pine Hills community ahead of the legislative session and after a string of deadly shootings last week that killed a 38-year-old woman, a 9-year-old girl and a Spectrum News 13 reporter.

Body camera video shows deputies in Orange County arresting Keith Melvin Moses after he’s accused of shooting five people, killing a TV reporter and a 9-year-old girl. The encounter with the sheriff’s office on Feb. 22 was far from his first run-in with law enforcement.

Last week, Monique Worrell, state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties, laid the blame on a juvenile justice system not designed to handle a juvenile like Moses, and called on state legislators to make changes.

On March 27, 2018, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed Florida Senate Bill 376 into law, scoring a major victory for the men and women dealing with work-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD.

A new bill filed in the Florida Senate was inspired by a recent incident in Daytona Beach where a 76-year-old woman allegedly shot and killed her terminally-ill husband in a hospital.

A bill going through the Florida Legislature would give Gov. Ron DeSantis control over the board of the nonprofit group that oversees school sports in the state.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., is asking Florida state legislators to approve millions of dollars to help his office and other state agencies fight lawsuits stemming from new laws and executive orders.

The Florida House Friday morning passed two bills clarifying controversial programs on migrant transportation and prosecuting election crimes, sending both measures to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature.

Florida House Lawmakers in Tallahassee passed a bill Thursday that will change the governing body that runs Walt Disney World property in the latest chapter of the fight between Florida Gov. DeSantis and Walt Disney World.

Republicans in the Florida Senate passed a bill that gives the state the authority to fly migrants who arrive here anywhere in the country to other locations.

Florida’s statewide prosecutor would have jurisdiction to prosecute more crimes related to elections and voting, under a bill passed by the Florida Senate Wednesday.

The Florida Legislature will get Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to remake the special taxing district for Walt Disney World in the upcoming legislative session, according to a notice filed in Osceola County.

Every year, the Florida Lottery, which leads the country in lottery sales, sends money to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.

Every year, the Florida Lottery, which leads the country in lottery sales, sends money to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.

Florida lawmakers in May approved scaling back a requirement to replace roofs. A contractors group and a roofing company have gone to a state appeals court as they argue the change is unconstitutional.

A statewide grand jury empaneled at the request of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has called for lawmakers to create new criminal penalties for harboring undocumented immigrants.

Have an issue you want to talk to your lawmaker about? Here's how.

The Florida Legislature will meet next week for a special session on property insurance and property tax relief in the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Ian.

State lawmakers will be meeting in December for a special session, according to a memo sent by the Florida Legislature on Tuesday.

U.S. Rep Val Demings is leaving her congressional district to run for U.S. Senate. That means U.S. House District 10 is an open seat this year.

Going for the open seat is Cory Mills, a Republican defense consultant who has a litany of conservative endorsements and is flush with cash. The Democrat is Karen Green, a former cruise line executive with several endorsements from progressive leaders.

Weeks after state health officials selected a Suwannee County man to receive a long-awaited medical marijuana license earmarked for a Black farmer, applicants who lost out on joining Florida’s growing cannabis industry are challenging the decision.

Amendment 2 would get rid of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission.

This amendment creates property assessment exemptions for changes that protect property from flood damage.

The candidates are Hilsia Fernandez, Karen Green, Al Krulick and Allek Pastrana.

Attorneys general from 15 states and the District of Columbia are seeking to aid challengers to a new Florida law that restricts instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in Florida public schools.

The Florida Legislature has started a special session focused on fixing the state’s turbulent property insurance market.

The Florida Legislature has passed a bill to dissolve a private government controlled by Disney that provides municipal-like services for its 27,000 acres in the Sunshine State.

The Florida Legislature’s leaders have sent a memo to lawmakers ahead of a special session next week saying legislative staff will not draw new congressional maps.

Campaigns for Congress are underway for this year’s elections, but lingering disagreements over the final shape of new voting districts have left some candidates — and would-be candidates — in limbo.

A federal judge considering a constitutional challenge to a 2021 state elections law ordered attorneys Monday to quickly file briefs about the potential effects of a bill that the Legislature passed this month to make further changes in the elections system.

Students at Edgewater High School took part in a walkout Friday to protest a piece of legislation critics have colloquially dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Middle and high school students across Seminole County walked out Thursday afternoon in protest of a Florida bill that would ban discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms across the state.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court denied Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request for an advisory opinion on the Congressional redistricting maps proposed by the Florida Legislature and himself.

The Florida Senate is expected to consider a map on Wednesday that will redraw Congressional districts and add a new one for the state.

Have an issue you want to talk to your lawmaker about during the Florida Legislative Session? Here's how.

A group that challenged a Florida Power & Light plan to raise base electric rates is taking the fight to the state Supreme Court.

A pair of bills signed this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis, involving vehicle rentals and notaries public, will become law Saturday.

Florida lawmakers Tuesday started moving forward with an effort to direct money in the fight against toxic algae toward long-term solutions and freshwater bodies.

Florida's four new laws give the state new tools to fight COVID-19 mandates.